India has firmly established itself as the leading source of migrants to developed nations worldwide, maintaining its dominant position even as China reclaims the top spot in student migration, according to the latest international data.
India's Migration Dominance Continues
Over 600,000 Indians relocated to OECD countries in 2023, marking an impressive 8.1% increase compared to the previous year. This figure represents more than 1.5 times the migration numbers from China, which stood at 368,000 during the same period.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in its 2025 International Migration Outlook report, confirmed that India has consolidated its leadership position among all origin countries migrating to the 38 OECD member nations. This group includes popular destinations such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
India initially surpassed China as the primary source of migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic and has successfully maintained that lead ever since. The United Kingdom emerged as the most popular choice for Indian migrants in 2023, with 144,000 individuals choosing British shores – representing one in every four Indian migrants and a substantial 28% year-on-year increase.
Citizenship Patterns and Healthcare Exodus
India also leads in citizenship acquisitions across OECD nations, with 225,000 Indians becoming new citizens in 2023. This places India well ahead of war-torn Syria, which recorded 150,000 citizenship acquisitions during the same period.
Canada, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom accounted for 84.2% of total Indian naturalizations within OECD countries. Australia has shown particularly remarkable growth in welcoming Indian citizens, with its share rising to 21% in 2023 from 15.6% in 2013.
Canada demonstrated a similar trend, with nearly one-fifth of its new citizens being of Indian origin – almost double the proportion recorded a decade ago. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's share of citizenship offered to Indians has declined sharply from nearly 18% a decade ago to approximately 9% in 2023.
Healthcare professionals represent a significant portion of India's migration story. Among the 600,000 Indians who moved to OECD countries in 2023, 97,000 individuals – representing one in six migrants – traveled on health and care worker visas.
India has consistently been a crucial source of healthcare talent for developed nations facing aging populations and labor shortages. Detailed data from 2020 shows that 98,857 Indian-born doctors were employed across OECD countries, up significantly from 56,077 in 2000. Similarly, the number of Indian-born nurses working in OECD nations reached 122,400 in 2020, compared to just 22,879 two decades earlier.
Shifting Trends in Student Migration
China has overtaken India as the leading source country for international student migration to the United States and United Kingdom in 2024, marking a significant shift in global education patterns.
Overall, OECD countries hosted over 1.8 million international students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in 2024. However, this represents a 13% decline compared to 2023 and marks the first decrease since the pandemic era.
The decline was primarily driven by reduced inflows to the top four receiving countries: the United States experienced a 12% drop, the United Kingdom saw a 14% decrease, Canada witnessed a substantial 39% decline, and Australia recorded a 22% reduction in international student numbers.
While traditional education destinations are tightening their student visa regulations, several other OECD nations are welcoming more international students. Countries like Hungary (73.7% increase), Japan (19.7% growth), New Zealand (18.7% rise), and South Korea (16.4% uptick) have seen sharp year-on-year surges in student inflows during 2024.
The migration landscape continues to evolve, with India maintaining its strong position in overall migration and citizenship acquisitions while adapting to changing patterns in student mobility and professional opportunities across developed economies.
